Forgiveness is an interesting concept which so many of us do not understand and yes I include myself in this. One afternoon I was on an airplain and as many of you know there is not a lot of room in the seats anymore. I am an isle person, I find it hard to sit by the window, I just feel cramped. I was having a conversation with my wife about forgiveness and how important it is to do this because it eats away at our hearts like a cancer. she was having a hard time understanding this. so I was looking for an Illistration for her to see what I meant. long behold as I mentioned I was in the Isle seat and a women with bag in hand walks briskly through the Isle on her way to the bathroom hits my cup of soda tipping it over from the tray and on to my lap. First response is oh snap and I begin to frantically dry it up with what ever I could crab as my wife is helping me crab the little over head blanket to help. On my way to the bathroom I notice the women standing there oblivious to what she had done to me. I got back to my seat and my wife asked me did I speak to her. I said no as she was unaware she had even done anything. I knew at that moment this was what I needed to bring across my example of forgiveness. I could have chosen not to forgive her for that situation and allowed the next 3 hours to be a bad flight then a hour ride home to be just as bad. This would have been my choice. The woman not knowing what she did would have went on with her life with not a care as to what happened. I on the other hand would have always remembered it every time I got on a plain. That is what unforgiveness does. It creates a place in our minds which becomes a place of anger or hurt towards something or someone. while the other person is unaware sometimes of what they have even done.

my wife understood from that point on. what about you is it time to forgive someone.

Remember how the father [in the parable Jesus told of the prodigal son] acted when the boy returned home?1 Did he run up and sniff his breath to see if he had been drinking? Did he comment on how poorly he had cared for his clothes? Did he criticize his straggly hair and dirty fingernails? Did he inquire about the balance left in his checking account? Of course not. He hugged the boy—the hug of loving acceptance.

This story of a father’s love is immortalized in the Bible primarily, I believe, to tell something of how God accepts us. Should we not consciously use His example in dealing with our children? Can we afford to neglect giving them hugs of loving acceptance each day?

This love is the warm blanket each parent can weave for his or her children—a blanket of love that accepts each child for what he is. Such love is never content to stop assisting the youngster to climb higher and higher toward the plan God has for every life.—Dr. Bob Pedrick

One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.—George Herbert

When I was a kid, my father told me every day, “You’re the most wonderful boy in the world, and you can do anything you want to.”—Jan Hutchins

Every dad, if he takes time out of his busy life to reflect upon his fatherhood, can learn ways to become an even better dad.—Jack Baker

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.—Jim Valvano

[My father] didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.—Clarence Budington KellandA man’s children and his garden both reflect the amount of weeding done during the growing season.—Author unknown

Small boys become big men through the influence of big men who care about small boys.—Author unknown

There’s something like a line of gold thread running through a man’s words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself.—John Gregory Brown

A dad is respected because he gives his children leadership.A dad is appreciated because he gives his children care.A dad is valued because he gives his children time.A dad is loved because he gives his children the one thing they treasure most—himself.—Author unknown

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1 Peter 5:7 ESV / Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Galatians 2:20 ESV / I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

John 14:16 ESV / And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

The due date for my writing assignment was fast approaching, and I was barely half done. I’d been working fast and furiously, but my mind was now too stressed to think clearly, my eyes were too strained to focus, and my shoulders were stiff from sitting hunched over my computer keyboard for so long.

I finally pulled myself away from my desk piled high with books and papers, and retreated to a nearby window for a break. As I raised my eyes to a beautiful blue, sunny sky above neighboring apartment buildings, I caught sight of a bird in graceful flight. My spirit soared with it.

I forgot my work for a moment and enjoyed this glimpse of God’s beautiful creation. My tired mind was renewed as I marveled at the shapes and shades of the clouds—thousands of tons of water floating effortlessly high overhead. Breathing deeply of the breeze that blew through the open window, I thanked and praised God for His goodness and care. I began with the scene before me, and ended with a few of the many wonderful things He has done for me personally over the years. With each breath and thought, my mind and body relaxed a little more, and my aching shoulders became a little less tense.

When I returned to my desk, I felt completely refreshed. The three-minute break had worked wonders. I tackled my assignment with renewed energy and focus. To my amazement, I made more headway during the next hour than I had in the previous two. Not only that, but when I reread my work later, I found fewer mistakes than I expected. I met my deadline with time to spare.

I was so excited by my discovery that I decided to apply this “praise break” principle to other areas of my life, and I’ve found its effects to be amazing. In addition to relieving stress, it has helped improve my moods, my relations with others, my problem-solving ability, my organizational skills, and more.

My life hasn’t become problem free since I started practicing praise, but stopping to thank God for His goodness and refocus on my blessings gives me strength to face whatever comes my way. It’s made the joys more enjoyable and the trials less trying. It doesn’t take long—sometimes less than a minute—but I’ve found that it makes all the difference in the world.

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1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV – Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Imagine three large volcanoes. The first is extinct. Where once magma and molten rock hurtled down, now grass, trees, and all manner of fauna and flora flourish on its serene slopes.

The second volcano is dormant. Like the first one, it is also covered with lush vegetation and teeming with wildlife, but within it the magma has not cooled and solidified. Seemingly peaceful on the outside, one day it will erupt again with force and power, spewing out rocks and ash and destroying all that grows and lives nearby.

Vegetation and wildlife can’t be found on the third volcano, because it is active, constantly spewing sulfuric gasses and churning out hot lava that destroys everything in its path.

Anger is like a volcano. Heated frustration seethes within, and when let loose it will cause hurt and pain. Sometimes we let it show, like the active volcano, when we’re frustrated, annoyed, or feeling misunderstood. Hot, angry words spew from our mouths, hurting those we direct them at.

Other times we hold anger in, hesitating to communicate honestly about the things that frustrate or irritate us. Slowly the anger builds up, like the magma gradually building pressure within the belly of the dormant volcano, until one day we explode in anger, spouting off angry, hurtful words and acting in an unloving manner.

A verse in Proverbs says, “A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle.” In the end, our anger places barriers between us and our loved ones, and we hurt ourselves most of all.

But the good news is that anger can be dispelled by letting God’s Spirit work in us, helping us to see things from His perspective and cooling the hot, magma-like spirit of anger.

The next time you feel anger rising, determine to neither hold it in or to explode. Take a deep breath. Wait before putting your grievance into words. Pray. Ask God to bring peace to your spirit. Eventually you may need to speak with the person who has upset you, but wait until you’ve calmed down and you can choose your words with care. Treat others as you would have them treat you, and you’ll be much happier.

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Proverbs 14:29 ESV - Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

Ephesians 4:26-27 ESV - Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Ephesians 4:31 ESV – Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother,” the Bible tells us. That friend is Jesus, who also promises, “I am with you always” and “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” His presence can fill the aching void within that we all sometimes feel, no matter how many close companions we may have on life’s journey. We need to learn to let Jesus fill that void.

Sit quietly and focus on this promise. “My Presence will go with you.” Think back to before your day even started. Jesus was with you as you slept, watching over you. Morning came, and just as sure as the sun rose, He was there. When you thought about the day ahead, He was there, just waiting for you to ask His help in planning and carrying out that plan. On your way to work, He was right beside you. Every time you encountered a problem, He was waiting with the answer you needed, hoping you would ask Him for it. When you heard some good news, He was happy along with you. When the day took a difficult turn, He was there to comfort you. As you read this, He is beside you.

Tomorrow, as you go through your day, think of Jesus as your constant companion. As you become more aware of Him being right there with you, you will find comfort and companionship that relieves loneliness and fills those blank spots like no one or nothing else can.

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Psalm 139:7–12 ESV / Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

Acts 20:7 ESV / On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

John 3:16 ESV / For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

I was 21 when I read from the Bible for the first time on my own. Someone had suggested I read the Gospel of John first, but I knew so little about the Bible at the time that I didn’t understand the Gospels were four separate accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. So I started at what seemed the more logical place, at the beginning of the New Testament, with the Gospel of Matthew.

By the time I got to the Gospel of John, I was fascinated with Jesus. He had the perfect answer to every question and always knew exactly what to do. But more than that, He seemed to understand me and know exactly what I needed. His words were powerful and alive. He was alive! His words reached across nearly 2000 years and touched me in a way I had never experienced before. When I finally came to John 15:15—“I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you”—I felt He was speaking directly to me. Jesus called me His friend! I got so excited I couldn’t sit still. I wanted to tell the whole world.

I had prayed to receive Him as my Savior a few months before, but nothing much changed until I began reading His words with an open, receptive heart. His words were powerful and alive and, best of all, personal. And it got even better. Some time later, I discovered that Jesus still speaks directly and personally to His followers today, just as wonderfully as He spoke to His first disciples.

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Hebrews 4:15 ESV / For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

John 3:16 ESV / For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Luke 2:34 ESV / And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed

There is a mystery in human hearts: to every one of us, from time to time, there comes a sense of utter loneliness.

Some of the loneliest people in the world are those who are constantly surrounded by others, yet they feel that no one truly knows or understands them. They may even have an abundance of material things—everything to satisfy every physical need—yet they complain of loneliness. They long to share their interests with someone, to find someone who will listen to their problems and sympathize with them.

We may have a lifelong companion or dear friends who love us, but even they will never know or understand us completely. We may climb the heights of success or accomplishment, yet there is no one who can fully share the emotion of that moment when we finally reach our goal. Our dearest friend is a stranger to our supreme joy and cannot realize our most bitter pain. Some tears are always shed alone. No other human being can ever enter the deepest recesses of our mind or soul.

“There is no one who really understands, no one to share all I feel!” Such is the cry of each of us, in turn. We wander in a solitary way, no matter what or where our lot may be. Each heart, mysterious even to itself, must live its inner life in solitude.

But why? Why do we all have this deep craving to be understood by someone? Why this intense longing to have another share our joys and triumphs, sorrows, and defeats?

Did God, who made us a living soul, make some mistake in this, His masterpiece, humankind? Has He left some void in our makeup? He made provision for every other hunger of life: bread for the hunger of the body, knowledge for the hunger of the mind, love for the hunger of the heart. Has He then left the soul unsatisfied, with this longing for deepest understanding and truest companionship unfulfilled? Has He left this loneliness of ours unanswered?

There is an answer to these questions. This incompleteness that we feel is a need of our soul for God. He knew that when we found human sympathy lacking, we would seek the divine. He knew that this very sense of isolation, of not being understood, would drive us to Him.

God made us for Himself. He desires our love. He put a little sign on the table of your heart that reads, “Reserved for Me.” In every heart, He wishes to be first. He therefore keeps the secret key Himself, the key to open all our hearts’ chambers and to bless with perfect sympathy and peace each solitary soul that comes to Him.

God Himself is the answer, the fulfillment. He who made us is the only One who can fill every part of our life. God’s Word says He is our “satisfying portion.” Not until He fills that inner longing will we ever be truly satisfied or completely free from loneliness.

God wants to satisfy that need, but He and His love are so big, so great, that they are beyond our comprehension. That is why He needed to make someone who could show us His love in terms we could understand, someone who was within our realm, someone we could experience, one Man who was like Himself, His Son.

Jesus is touched with our every longing, and He will satisfy every longing of our heart. As He enters our life, He becomes our satisfaction. He is complete companionship, ideal and perfect friendship.

There’s no need to ever be lonely. Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” and “I am with you always.”

So when you feel this loneliness, it is the voice of Jesus saying, “Come to Me.” And every time you feel that no one understands, it is a call for you to come to Him again. And when beneath some heavy load you faint and say, “I cannot bear this alone,” you say the truth. The grief that no one understands conveys a secret message from the King, entreating you to come to Him again. You cannot come too often.

His presence satisfies the lonely soul, and those who walk with Him from day to day can never know a solitary way.

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Proverbs 15:13-14 ESV / A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

Do you know who the happiest people are? Those who have the courage to be themselves, just the way God made them, rather than try to be something they’re not in order to fit in or impress others. Struggling to live up to what you think others expect of you puts a heavy weight on you, but there’s freedom in humility.

When I was young I didn’t like the way I looked. I thought my nose was too big and that I was too skinny and ugly. I had quite an inferiority complex about that, and it took me a long time to get over it. Part of it was my pride, and part of it was comparing myself to others. But as I grew older, I realized none of that really mattered. I understood that the Lord had made me the way He wanted me, and that He had made me that way because He loved me.

He loves you too the way He made you, and you’re beautiful in His eyes. We’re all unique and special. In His eyes there is no ugliness, no matter what we look like.

Building self-esteem often has a lot to do with your relationship with the Lord. The closer you draw to Him and the more at peace you are with Him, the more content and at peace you’ll be with yourself, and the happier and more relaxed you’ll be. When you’re living close to the Lord, you’re handsome or beautiful because His love and His light are shining through.

I have a suggestion for you: Sit down sometime and let the Lord speak to you about yourself. Or ask someone else to pray and ask Him how He sees you, what your inner beauties are, what your inner strengths are, and what gifts and abilities He likes to bring forth in you. Let Him encourage you, and you’ll find that you can actually be quite happy being His unique creation.

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Acts 20:35 ESV / In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

1 Peter 3:1 ESV / Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,

2 Timothy 3:17 ESV / That the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

The story is told of an African king and his close friend, who had grown up together. The king’s friend had a habit of looking at every situation positively and remarking, “This is good!”

One day the king went on a hunting expedition, and he gave his friend the job of loading his guns and handing them to him. Apparently the friend did something wrong at some point, because one gun misfired and blew the king’s thumb off.

“This is good!” the king’s friend remarked as usual.

“No, this is not good!” the king replied, and he sent his friend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he shouldn’t have ventured into. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, bound him to a stake in the ground, and stacked firewood around his feet. However, just as they were about to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. The cannibals had a superstition that forbad them from eating anyone who was less than whole, so they untied the king and sent him on his way.

As the king traveled home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb, and he regretted the way he had treated his friend. He went straight to the jail and released his friend.

“You were right,” the king said. “It was good that my thumb was blown off.” And he proceeded to tell his friend about his brush with death. “I am sorry for sending you to jail for so long,” he said. “That was very bad of me!”

“No,” his friend replied, “this is good!”

“What do you mean, ‘This is good’? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?”

“If I had not been in jail,” the king’s friend replied, “I would have been with you.”

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Romans 12:21 ESV - Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Psalm 37:3 ESV - Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Hebrews 13:16 ESV - Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Some unlikely people have remarkable insight. I’m thinking specifically of the Roman army officer who begged Jesus to heal his servant. “I am not worthy that You should come under my roof,” the centurion told Jesus, “but only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”—And the centurion got what he asked for: his servant was healed immediately, without Jesus having to go and see to it personally.

Jesus was amazed at the centurion’s great faith, and I’m amazed at his understanding. He realized something that few others do: God delegates.

The centurion got his orders from his superior officer; Jesus got His instructions from His heavenly Father. The centurion had subordinates to carry out his orders; Jesus had (and still has) others in the spiritual realm to carry out His.

If God is infinitely wise and all knowing, all powerful, and ever present, why doesn’t He just do everything Himself? Wouldn’t that be quicker and simpler and get better results? Probably, but that would go against God’s nature and His plan. God is neither a loner nor an autocrat. He made His creation diverse and interactive, some of it physical and some of it spiritual. He also established laws of physics and a natural order to regulate the physical realm, and He delegated authority and set up a chain of command in the spiritual realm. Then He put us in the middle.

Science has unlocked many of the secrets of the physical world, but exactly how things work in the spiritual realm remains one of life’s great mysteries. God has given us clues in the Bible, though, and they make a fascinating study.

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Psalm 105:5 NIV - Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.

Genesis 1:26 KJV – And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Genesis 16:13 KJV – And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?